Mayerling (1968)

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Claude Anet (novel), Michel Arnold (novel),

Stars:

Omar Sharif, Catherine Deneuve, James Mason

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omar Sharif	...	Archduke Rudolf
Catherine Deneuve	...	Maria Vetsera
James Mason	...	Emperor Franz-Josef
Ava Gardner	...	Empress Elizabeth
James Robertson Justice	...	Prince of Wales
Geneviève Page	...	Countess Larish (as Genevieve Page)
Andréa Parisy	...	Princess Stephanie (as Andrea Parisy)
Ivan Desny	...	Count Hoyos
Maurice Teynac	...	Moritz Szeps
Mony Dalmès	...	Baroness Vetsera (as Mony Dalmes)
Moustache	...	Bratfisch
Fabienne Dali	...	Mizzi Kaspar
Roger Pigaut	...	Count Karolyi
Bernard La Jarrige	...	Loschek (as Bernard Lajarrige)
Véronique Vendell	...	Lisl Stockau (as Veronique Vendell)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

crown | inspection | hunting | melodrama | infidelity | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sex-related scenes

Details

Country:

France UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 December 1968 (France)

Also Known As:

Mayerling faciasi

Filming Locations:

Studios de Boulogne-Billancourt/SFP - 2 Rue de Silly, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), Les Films Corona, Winchester Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min 127 min (Turner Classic Movies)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) 70 mm 6-Track (UK release) (RCA Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although she played his mother in Mayerling, Ava Gardner was only nine years older than Omar Sharif.

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Goofs

The Prince of Wales says that Queen Victoria is aged "85 " when she only lived till she was 81.

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Connections

Featured in Vienna: The Years Remembered (1968)

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Soundtracks

"Morgenblaetter (Morning Paper)"
Composed by Johann Strauß

User Reviews

Costume epic that lacks heart

Reading about the Crown Prince character in THE ILLUSIONIST, I discovered he was based on a real-life individual who became the basis for not one but two movie versions, both called MAYERLING. This revelation immediately brought back memories of this lushly filmed love story from 1968, a richly detailed costume drama starring Omar "Dr. Zhivago" Sharif and the beautiful but incredibly icy Catherine Deneuve. The story ends in horrible tragedy, which is also based on real events. Clearly, the filmmakers of this 1968 version of the tale were trying to recreate the huge success of David Lean's 1965 masterpiece "Dr. Zhivago." In this, they failed utterly. You may shed tears by the end, but you also will discover a film that lacks the heart of the film it attempted to emulate. It is easy to state that Deneuve was the wrong choice to play the love interest, and it is a no-brainer to see that director Terence Young, best known for early James Bond films, will never be mistaken for David Lean. It's like comparing Steven Spielberg to Stanley Kubrick. It can't be done.